HONOLULU – On Sunday, May 29 the Hawai‘i Convention Center will be filled with Hawai‘i’s top entertainers and music makers for the 34th annual Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, presented by the Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts (HARA). Among them are nominees and Honolulu Community College’s Music and Entertainment Learning Experience (MELE) students, Glenn Molina and Steven Lynch, and MELE instructor Eric Lagrimas.

“It is an extreme honor to be nominated and recognized within Hawai‘i’s music community, but it is equally exciting to have two of our very own students being recognized for their work. Glenn and Steven are perfect examples of local talent who are putting Hawai‘i on the international music map,” shares Lagrimas.

Molina is currently studying music business, and Lynch is studying audio engineering. As one of five MELE students selected to attend the 53rd Grammy Awards, Molina experienced the music industry on a national platform attending workshops and the awards show in Los Angeles this past February. Outside of school, he and Lynch are business partners who formed their own record label, Ignoble Records. The duo produced the album Amplify that is nominated for Compilation of Year.

Lagrimas, MELE music business instructor, is no stranger to the local music industry. He has his own record label, Pass Out Records, that has released numerous Hōkū nominated albums and is the drummer for the popular ska punk band, PIMPBOT. Lagrimas produced the album, Abe Lagrimas, Jr. and Friends - Solo Ukulele: The King of Pop that is nominated for Extended Play Release of the Year.

Honolulu Community College’s Music and Entertainment Learning Experience (MELE) program is the first of its kind in the state that offers students associate of science degrees in music business and audio engineering technology. The goal of MELE is to invest in local talent to grow Hawai‘i's music industry and broaden its reach to the world.

In the fall of 2007 the Honolulu Community College MELE program opened with an enrollment of 27 students. Today, more than 300 students have taken MELE classes.